“The surgeon operated my mother.”

Really? Is she a machine?

Translation:« Le chirurgien a fait fonctionner ma mère. »

Why wrong: In English there are thousands of expressions called phrasal verbs that use a particle (i.e. a preposition or adverb) after a verb. Examples of particles are up, down, in, out, on and off. Omission of the particle can change the meaning, often quite humorously. Someone can operate a machine, but surgeons operate on people.

Correct it: “The surgeon operated on my mother.”

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